Hero
by Merusa
Summary: “You look....just like James.” preootp.


"Hero"  
  
~ I am so high, I can hear heaven ~  
  
The wind whipped his hair about wildly. He stood on the  
threshold of the sky-scraping Astronomy Tower, physically  
seventeen, emotionally, much older, a broom grasped in his hand.  
  
~ I am so high, I can hear heaven ~  
  
He wasn't a hero...he knew that he wasn't; he always had. The  
world as he knew it was on the brink of insanity, Voldemort's  
clutches tightened on the Wizarding world, more and more each  
day.  
  
~ Whoa, but heaven...no, heaven don't hear me ~  
  
Harry knew that he didn't have to defeat the Dark Lord. But, he  
needed to. The newspapers cried daily that the Boy-Who-Lived,  
the hero, would save them soon.  
  
~ And they say  
  
That a hero could save us ~  
  
It was so much more than that to him. He knew that if he didn't  
do this, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. It was much  
more than trying to be something he wasn't. They said that a  
hero would save them...but, all they had was Harry.  
  
He wasn't a hero.  
  
He'd promised Professor Dumbledore that he would wait until  
after his N.E.W.T.'s to go after Voldemort. He understood now  
that Dumbledore wanted him to live as much as possible before it  
happened.  
  
Harry let out a harsh laugh, one that sounded very different  
from who he was, at the irony of everything. For all the wizened  
professor's talks, love hadn't done much for Harry. Love had  
gotten Ron and Hermione tortured, Percy killed, Hagrid killed,  
Ginny almost killed, and his parents murdered all because they  
cared for him.  
  
It wasn't fair.  
  
Sweeping his eyes over his home for what might be the last time,  
Harry mounted his Firebolt and took off into the sky.  
  
~ I'm not gonna stand here and wait  
  
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles  
  
Watch as we all fly away ~  
  
~*~  
  
The doors of the Great Hall swung open many hours later. A hush  
fell over the crowded room and tired green eyes swept over them,  
barely twinkling, focusing on the Weasleys, Hermione, Remus, and  
Sirius, who were gathered in front of the staff table,  
apparently harassing the teachers as to find out where Harry  
was. The silence reigned as Dumbledore stood up.  
  
~ Now that the world isn't ending  
  
It's love that I'm sending to you ~  
  
Harry looked up into the concerned and hopeful blue eyes. A  
ghost of a grin appeared on the young man's face. Reaching in  
his pocket, he pulled out a wand almost identical to his own-  
Voldemort's broken wand- and tossed it out onto the floor. It  
clattered across the hardwood before rolling to a stop.  
  
"He's gone." The simple words cracked with everything Harry was  
suppressing. He felt anything but jovial, let alone triumphant.  
  
The silence somehow got quieter, until Harry could hardly bear  
it. Some of the Slytherins began to exchange nervous glances.  
  
Harry tried to ignore the wave of fear that had washed over him.  
Were they so quiet because they didn't believe him? Was he not  
good enough for them anymore? He had killed, even if what he  
murdered was barely human. He wasn't a hero, he knew that now  
better than ever....he hoped they all knew how much he cared  
about them. He didn't know how to say it; he'd never said  
anything like it before. He swallowed, hard.  
  
~ It isn't the love of a hero  
  
And that's why I fear it won't do ~  
  
Then, the stillness was broken.  
  
Harry began to shake as Sirius approached him. There was a  
collective intake of breath; not everyone believed in his  
godfather's innocence.  
  
~ And they say  
  
That a hero could save us  
  
I'm not gonna stand here and wait  
  
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles  
  
Watch as we all fly away ~  
  
Harry's shaking increased. He expected to be reprimanded for  
leaving so suddenly.  
  
~ and they're watching us (watching us)  
  
But Sirius just looked at him with something analogous to pride  
in his eyes.  
  
~ watching us  
  
as we all fly away ~  
  
"You look....just like James."  
  
Harry was suddenly surrounded by people. Ginny had his neck in a  
vice grip, Sirius was ruffling his hair affectionately, Hermione  
and Ron were sobbing and whacking him on the back, respectively,  
and everyone else in the hall surrounded him, many in a fierce  
hug.  
  
~ and they're watching us ~  
  
Harry closed his eyes, laid his head on top of Ginny's, and  
breathed, letting everything out but taking everything in.  
  
He was flying.  
  
~ and we all fly away..~  
  
A/N: Songfic to Chad Kroeger f/ Josey Scott: Hero 


End file.
